The present invention relates generally to hybrid data distribution systems. In particular, the present invention is directed towards hybrid data distribution systems including a database for storing encoded data, in which the system is configured to transmit the encoded data to a digital device, and to decode the encoded data and transmit the decoded data to an analog device.
Known cable systems used by cable providers include a data distribution system. Specifically, the cable provider has a first plurality of customers which receive digital cable, and a second plurality of customers which receive analog cable. The customers receiving digital cable have a digital device, such as a digital set top box, electrically connected to their television, and the customers receiving analog cable have an analog device, such as a television commander, electrically connected to their television.
The analog device is configured to receive decoded (non-encoded) data from the cable provider's data distribution system. Specifically, the cable provider's data distribution system stores encoded data, and is configured to decode the data and to transmit the decoded data to the analog device. Such decoded data may be associated with television programs which the analog cable customer may view. Nevertheless, such decoded data does not include an interactive item selection system. After the analog device receives the decoded data, the analog device displays the decoded data on a viewing surface of the television.
The digital device includes a processor and is configured to receive encoded data from the cable provider's data distribution system. Such encoded data may be associated with an interactive item selection system, movies viewable after the digital cable customer selects a movie from the interactive item selection system, television programs, or the like. After the digital device receives the encoded data, the digital device decodes the encoded data, and displays the decoded data on the viewing surface of the television. Receiving encoded data from the cable provider's data distribution system allows the digital device to receive more data without increasing the amount of bandwidth relative to the amount of data received by the analog device. Consequently, the quality of the picture and/or the sound of the data received by the digital device is superior in comparison to the quality of the picture and/or the sound of the data received by the analog device.
Nevertheless, in such known cable systems, the analog cable customer is not able to receive an interactive item selection system and to select items from the item selection system for viewing, such as movies. Using the known cable systems, to allow both the digital cable customers and the analog cable customers to receive and use the interactive item selection system, the cable provider would have to purchase both digital hardware and analog hardware and set them up side-by-side. This would result in duplicate storage of the data, i.e., the analog and the digital data distribution systems would both store the data, which would reduce cost efficiency. Moreover, separate billing software would have to be used by the analog and digital data distribution systems for analog cable customers and digital cable customers, respectively.
Known hotel video on-demand systems are used to provide a hotel guest with an user-friendly interface for selecting movies and other audio-visual products. Such video on-demand systems include a data distribution system electrically connected to an analog device, and the analog device is electrically connected to a television in the hotel guest's room. The analog device is configured to receive decoded (non-encoded) data from the data distribution system. Specifically, the data distribution system stores encoded data, and is configured to decode the data and to transmit the decoded data to the analog device. Such decoded data may be associated with movies, television programs, item selection systems, or the like. After the analog device receives the decoded data, the analog device displays the decoded data on a viewing surface of the television.
Nevertheless, in order to offer the hotel guest encoded (digital) data using such known hotel video on-demand systems, a significant number of analog channels would have to be sacrificed, thereby reducing the number of channels available to the hotel guest.